Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved a Canada Goose Management Service Establishment Bylaw that aims to reduce the impact of the rapidly growing Canada Goose population in the region. The bylaw was adopted after receiving elector assent through a regional alternative approval process (AAP).
“The current population of non-migratory resident Canada geese are impacting farmland and degrading coastal ecosystems and waterways, public and private lands and increasing risk to public health across the region,” said CRD Board Chair Colin Plant. “This Goose Management Service will allow us to coordinate our approach in dealing with this issue and reduce the impact of these geese on the region.”
Recent population studies commissioned by the CRD have shown that the Canada goose population in the capital region doubles in size every four years. This growing population has resulted in increasing ecological, economic, and social impacts to public and private lands, estuaries, and wetlands.
The CRD intends to establish a Regional Canada Goose Management Working Group to take a coordinated approach to outreach and education, development of an egg addling program, coordination of Provincial and Federal permits, and conducting strategic harvests. The working group will involve representatives from local government, First Nations, stewardship groups, and key stakeholders impacted by the large goose population.
The proposed service will be ongoing with the budget to fund it approved by April 2023 and it will be assessed annually to determine its success.
The CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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